The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-01-13
DECISIONS on TEMPERANCE.
by L. V. powdcrly, G. NJ. W., Of the
Knights of Labor.

The growth Of our order and the notice
taken of it by the press Of the land ha.
awakened an interest III the labor move
mcnt among men who have never given
the question of organization thought.
thousands of men are knocking for adj
mlttance; they arc actuated by all sorts
OF motives. Among the number who
would like TO become members, [ find
quite few liquor dealers, and l am
written to every day to know eff -
cannot be admlttcd it is true he is en-
gagged i'll the liquor traffic, or his wife
sells liquor, or he is III some way con-
nCctcd with the rum interests, but we
know lo would maYe good member"
Tho decisions Of the General Master
Workman are now published III book
orm. Turn to the pages of that book
and you will sec decision after decision
on the eligibility of those connected with
the saloon business.
One OF my correspondents asks why /
reversed tho decision of my predecessor;
tho decision reads as follows:
u. Men of good report, respectable
and honorable keepers of roadside inns,
lor tho bona iido entertainment Of trav-
oilers aud their animals, with bed and
board for tho same, connected with the
real interests of the locality in which
they live, do not como under the classi-
ticntlon OF saloon keeper and liquor
dealer, and may be admitted to member
ship under tho claw Of the ballot"
1T is true that my decisions are in con-
tllct with the above, but it was through
no disrcspect to Brother Stephens that I
made them. They arc as follows:
''OI. An nppnt fo,, onu Eunn,, "a
lishmcnt (bo that establishment whole
sale or retail, or be he the agent, manu-
iacturc or dcalcr) is not eligible TO men,
bcrship."
80. No person can be II member of
the Order whose wife sells liquor He
must either get divorce from his wife
or from tins organization. Tho latter
can DC granted III the shape of All hon
orablc withdrawal card"
'SO. NumSpllcrS CAN NOT be admitted
TO membership, and M member engaged
III the business OF rumsclling, directly
or indirectly, whether by barrel, gallon,
! quart, pint, or gill, who sells either by
himself III person or i'll proxy, must ap-
ply Tor and be granted withdrawal
card; and If he ncSlccts to make appli-
cation therefor, at once the Recording
! Secretary of the Local Assembly shall
notify him of his neglect, and ut the
! noNt meeting Il withdrawal card shall be
issued TO the brother"
! ''!I. II during the interval between
the election and initiation Of a candidate
he engages i'll the liquor traffic, either
lor his own purpose Or of another, he is
dlSqualliicd, and cannot he covered with
, our ShiCll"
'-l /. Inc manufacturer Of beer that
-, the prOPrictar OF owMCY Of thl
brewery Is not eligible to membership
Ihc men employed III the brewery arc
ch8IDlc TO membership. If you turn to
pages 2"I, Proceedings of Goncrul AS
Scmbiy OF 1886, you Will get an idea of
why oppose the admission of those en-
gagged III tho liquor traffic. Our Order
and the lnborer.'
full J he will sec that if allowed to stand
as law it would open the door to every
rlunSCiiCT III tho land. The man who
keeps IL saloon ON broadway, New York,
IS the 'kc"pcr Of Il roadside inn," and
up to represent time no one has heard Il
man engaged Ill the liquor business ad-
mt That he was not "reSpcctablc and
honorable"
Even with the law us it now stands |
am pcStcrrd every day with inquiries
ana appeals from Assemblies here and
mere To give decision on the advisia-
billiy ul admitting some one who has m
interest IN hquOr establishment. All
SnrtS Oh excuses IN order to open tho
doors OF the Knights OF Labor to the
dealer III spirits. To-day ] find the fol-
lowing on my desk;
vi ----------'------iS HOOd-naturCd,
liberal man, and very favorable to us.
One OF our members, while in his place
spoke rather unrCSCrvCdly OF the affairs
OF the Order Mr-----------has gained a
knowlcdgc OF our secrets. Wo are Of the
opinion that IL diSprusi,tIon from YOU to
allow us to initiate Mr.. -.-------.-.- would
settle the difficulty"
JhlS Is my answer to that REQUEST; /
Will mover grant di8pcnsation to any
man engaged III IL calling likely to bring
dlScrcolt TO the Order. In frcqucntinG
tins man $ place Il member loses his wits.
If he gets into the Order nc will be ir n
position to do more injury. ! do not
care now good-naturcd he may be, that
belongs to bis trade. The spider would
be considered good naturCd by the pcr-
son who saw mm invite the fly into his
p&rlor, but if Mr.. Fly could get out of
The purlOr his testimony would convict
the spider of being good naturcd" for
Il purpose This man may be liberal,
but # other men were not idiots he
could not be SO very liberal on tho
money they stole from his wife and
CHILD to give to him. lie may be liberal,
but yuH cannot afford to be, because YOU
have & ven to the saloon keeper your
! cHrnim 8.
am asked if " young man working
Tor himself, over twcnty-onc years Of
age, may become a member if his father
sells drink. havo no objections to
such person, but if his presence in the
Assembly is likely to lead one person
into his fathers "pur,or" who would not
otherwise go there then | am opposed
to his coming III.
regret to note tie narrow interprc
tatIon given to ny ;ulings. 1t is not
the saloon kccpo. / object to, it is the
lnilucncc of ru'h; and if / know that
th admission of any man or woman
Wlli lead men into saloons, [ am of opinion
tl'"t ms place il outside. My decisions
were ull IunIp wit a y,;,v, l.